A World Tourism Organization (WTO) senior official said the tourism sector in Abu Dhabi and Dubai is already showing signs of recovering and will soon be out of the recession doldrums. Amr Abdel Ghaffer said the tourism sector in Abu Dhabi and Dubai was impacted by the economic downturn but in a limited way and the effects are disappearing noticeably.
Mr. Ghaffer said “I expect the number of tourists to the country to rise remarkably next year, especially as it has all the components necessary for the industry to flourish.” He said Abu Dhbai is ready to develop cultural tourism so that it is a significant competitor regionally and globally. The country has a five year plant to boost tourism and increase the number of tourists to between 2 million and 5 million by 2012. They plan to consolidate entertainment tourism so that it comprises about 50 per cent of the sector.
